The History of Snow Tires

Snow tires, sometimes referred to simply as winter tires, were introduced in the 1930s. They were first released for trucks and then a few years later, snow tires for passenger vehicles hit the market. The very first snow tires came out of Finland in 1934, when Nokian introduced the product. The new type of tire featured a unique tread designed to offer maximum traction for improved handling on snowy roads. Over the years, many improvements have been made to snow tires; for example, Goodyear released the Suburbanite winter tire in 1952, and in 1972, Michelin Tires patented a snow tire with variable width recesses in the tread to help maintain grip in snowy or icy conditions. Today, many drivers operating their vehicles in snowy areas rely on snow tires to help them get from place to place safely.